Mexico increasing border security

Mexico
says it is increasing security along its borders and at oil
installations to guard against possible terrorist attacks
in the event of war in Iraq, Voice of America News.com reported.

Mexico
is one of the world's top oil producers and one of the leading
oil exporters to the United States.

In
an interview Feb. 9 with Mexico's state news agency, Attorney
General Rafael Macedo said the higher security was a "natural
defense mechanism" given that a conflict with Iraq could
create impacts around the world.

Meanwhile,
U.S. Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge and Mexican Interior
Secretary Santiago Creel held talks in Washington last month
on improving border security. A nonpermanent member of the
U.N. Security Council, Mexico supports giving the U.N. arms
inspectors more time to search for weapons of mass destruction
in Iraq.